Jack-operated buckle



Bic. ELSNER JACK-OPERATED BUC KLE Filed Oct. 15. 1956 Willi/1111111145 INVENTOR. [OW/N C fLS/VEA? United States Patent JACK-GPERATED BUCKLE Edwin C. Eisner, Glendale, Califi, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Aeroqnip Corporation, Jackson, MJdL, a corporation of Michigan Application October 15, 1956, Serial No. 615,819

7 Claims. (Cl. 254--51) This invention relates to a buckle that may be used for tie-down purposes and is particularly characterized by the fact that it is jack-operated.

An object of the invention is to provide a jackoperated buckle that embodies means to lock the adjustment effected by a jack to enable removal of the jack for similar use in connection with another buckle. Thus, the invention is characterized by low cost of manufacture since the buckles may each be of simple construction that does not embody a jack, and a single jack may serve a large number of such buckles. It follows, then, that a plurality of buckles of inexpensive design may utilize a jack of high power and commensurately high cost to create desired tension forces on the ends of two members such as chains or cables.

Another object of the invention is to provide a buckle of the character referred to that is long-lived because the same is subjected only to tension forces and does not have parts that are subject to friction, wear, torsion and other such life-shortening forces.

A further object of the invention is to provide a buckle that is adapted to be placed in a straight-line tension by telescopic movement of the buckle parts under force applied by a jack that is adapted to be removed and is enabled by finger operation to lock the tension before removal of the jack is efiected.

The invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description. However, the drawing merely shows, and the following description merely describes, one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawing, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a jack-operated buckle according to the present invention and shown in tensionlocked condition.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof in its tension-inducing condition and before the tension is locked.

Figs. 3, 4 and are enlarged cross-sectional views as taken on the respective lines 33, 4-4, and 5-5 of Fig. 2.

The drawing shows two chain ends 11) and 11, the same being intended to illustrate the opposite ends of a chain, cable, etc., or the ends of two anchored such members. In any case, the present buckle 12 connects said ends and 11 and is adapted to place tension between said ends by means of a jack 13.

The buckle 12 that is illustrated comprises, generally, a frame 14 connected to chain end 10, a thread-provided part 15 connected to chain end 11 and telescopically en- 2,935,363 Patented May 3, 1950 gaged with the frame 14, and means 16 carried by the part 15 and finger-movable into abutment with frame 14 to lock the tension applied to the buckle by the jack 13.

The frame 14 is shown as comprising side walls 17 connected at one end, as by welds, by a transverse abut ment wall 18 that has an extension 19 beyond one side or edge of walls 17. At the opposite end, said side walls 17 are connected by welds by a pair of plates 20. A bolt 21 is passed through the latter plates and the same are spaced to accommodate a link of chain 119, said bolt 21 passing through said link. In such manner, the chain hi is connected to frame 14, said connection being removable upon removal of the bolt.

A guide tube 22 is secured, as by welds, to the wall 18, the same extending as a longitudinal elongation of the frame 14. A gusset plate 23 is welded to both said tube and wall to minimize deflection of wall extension 19 when jack 13 is being applied. The side walls 17 are shown as provided with slots 24 intermediate the Wall 13 and the plates 20. Said frame is advantageously made of steel parts for desired strength.

The part 15 is shown as comprising a stem or shaft 25 that is provided with threads 26 at one end and is provided with a loop 27 at the opposite end, the latter having permanent connection with the chain end 11. Said stem 25 is of a diametral size to slidingly pass through guide tube 22 with the threaded end thereof telescopically related to the buckle frame 14 in the manner shown.

On the threads 26 is provided a nut 28, the same being afiixed to the stem 25, as by a pin 29. Afilxed to nut 28 by suitable welds is an abutment wall 30 that has an upper extension 31 that is in aligned opposition to wall extension 19. A gusset plate 32 serves the same purpose for extension 31 as does plate 23 for extension 19.

Fingers 35 formed on wall 30 extend into slots 24 and obviate relative rotational movement between the frame 14 and the part 15.

The means 16 is shown as a knurled nut on the threads 26, the same being of such diametral size as to clear a jack 13 disposed in end engagement between the abutment wall extensions 19 and 31.

When it is desired to apply tension between the chain ends 10 and 11, the jack 13, in collapsed or contracted condition, is placed, as shown in Fig. 2, between wall extensions 19 and 31. Then, depending on the type of jack usedhydraulic, screw, etc.--the opposite ends 33 and 34 are extended in opposite directions to cause stem 25 to be drawn in a direction toward the chain end 16.

The action is a sliding one and applies only tension forces on the buckle. Whatever bending movement that may be imparted to the extensions 19 and 31 is greatly minimized by the transfer of said forces to the tube 22 and nut 28 and may be further minimized by keeping said extension as short as is practicable and yet provide for ample gripping of the jack therebetween.

It will be noted that the forces telescoping the buckle frame 14 and part 15 are applied in a straight line and that is a simple matter, while the jack is still in place, to finger-turn nut 16 on its threads until it comes to a stop against the wall 18, as can be seen in Fig. 1. Now, the jack can be contracted and removed from its operating position with assurance that nut 16 will hold or lock the adjusted tension between the buckle parts and, thus, between chain ends 10 and 11. When the tension is to be relieved, the jack is again resorted to, to so relieve the tension as to enable finger-operated backing off of nut 16.

It will be noted that no tools, other than the jack, are needed for proper operation of the buckle and that the present construction realizes the objects of the present invention.

While the foregoing has illustrated and described what is now contemplated to be the best mode of carrying out my invention, the construction is, of course, subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is, therefore, not desired to restrict the invention to the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A buckle which comprises: a frame structure having parallel side members; a first transverse abutment wall rigidly mounted on said side members at one end of said frame structure; a cross member rigidly mounted on said side members at the other end ofisaid frame structure; a second transverse abutment wall slidably mounted in said frame structure intermediate the ends thereof; an opening in said first abutment wall; a stem rigidly mounted on said second abutment wall and having an extended end slidably disposed in the opening in said first abutment wall; fastening means on the extended end of said stem for securing one chain end thereto; fastening means on said'second transverse abutment wall for fastening another chain end thereto in alignment with said first chain end; a removable jack adapted to be received between said first abutment wall and said second abutment wall and to move said second abutment wall away from said first abutment wall; and securing means carried by the stem to secure said stem in position relative to said first abutment wall.

2. A buckle as defined in claim 1, including a guide tube mounted externally of said first transverse abutment wall in line with the opening in said first abutment wall in which the extended end of said stem is slidably disposed and from which the extended end protrudes.

3. A buckle as defined in claim 1, wherein said stem is threaded and wherein the securing-means is carried by said thread.

4. A buckle comprising two non-rotationally and telescopically engaged parts, each part being provided with an abutment wall extending laterally from the line of pull between the buckle parts, said abutment walls being adapted to receive a removable jack between them and extension of the jack drawing the buckle parts into increased telescopic engagement, the first of said parts having an elongated frame in which the abutment Wall of said first part is formed as a transverse member of the frame, the second of said parts comprising a stem that passes through the abutment wall of said first part and which fixedly carries the abutment wall of' said second part, and finger-adjustable means carried by one part and adapted for adjustment to abut against the other part to lock the telescopic adjustment of the parts at any desired distance from each other.

5. A buckle comprising two non-rotationally and telescopically engaged parts, each part being provided with an abutment wall extending laterally from the line of pull between the buckle parts, said abutment walls being adapted to receive a removable jack between them and extension of the jack drawing the buckle parts into increased telescopic engagement, the first of said parts having an elongated frame in which the abutment wall of said first part is formed as a transverse member of the frame, the second of said parts having a stem that passes through the abutment wall of said first part and which fixedly carries the abutment wall of said second part,

' tively non-rotational, and finger-adjustable means carried by one part and adapted for adjustment to abut against the other part to lock the telescopic adjustment of the parts at any desired distance from each other."

6. A bucklefor placing tension on two chain ends and connecting the same, said buckle comprising: a firstpart connected to one chain end and having an elongated frame and an abutment wall formed as a transverse member of said frame; a second part telescopically engaged with the first part, connected to the other chain end and provided with an abutment wall disposed intermediate the ends of the first part, said second part comprising a stern that passes through the abutment wall of said first part and fixedly carries the abutment wall of the said second part, said abutment walls being in opposition and extended laterally from the line of pull between the buckle parts and adapted to receive between them a removable jack for spreading said walls and thereby increasing the telescopic engagement of the buckle parts to increase straightline tension between the chain ends; and means carried by one part and abutted with the abutment Wall of the other part to lock the tension at any desired distance between the buckle parts and thereby enable removal of said jack.

7. A buckle for placing tension on two chain ends and connecting the same, said buckle comprising: a first part connected to one chain end and having an elongated frame and an abutment wall formed as a transverse member of said frame; a second part. telescopically engaged with the first part, connected to the other chain end and provided with an abutment wall disposed intermediate the ends of the first part, said second part comprising a stem that passes through the abutment wall of said first part and fixedly carries the abutment wall of the said second part, said abutment walls being in opposition and extended laterally from the line of pull between the buckle parts and adapted to receive between them a removable jack for spreading said walls and thereby increasing the telescopic engagement of the buckle parts to increase straight-line tension between the chain ends; lateral fingers mounted on the abutment wall of said second part; slots in the frame of said first part adapted to receive said lateral fingers and retain the two parts non-rotational; and means carried by one part and abutted with the abutment wall of the other part to lock the tension at any desired distance between the buckle parts and thereby enable removal of said jack.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS awn-"o s h r 

